Grounded At JFK

Flew to JFK and was in line to check-in at Aeroflot when I learned that my visa had been set to begin October 11, not October 1. The service agency that processes visas really screwed up. The application said October 1, and the visa came back October 11. The second time mistakes were made.

Ended up sitting in a waiting area at JFK for 10 hours waiting return home. No restaurants, only a handful of seats. Just a hot, stuffy area with only a Dunkin’ Donuts.

Re-booking a flight for October 11 cost me another $300 and the flight home on Jet Blue at 10:50 cost me another $175. I flew to JFK for $92 today. It will cost another chunk to change the original Jet Blue return flight and the return flight home on Nov. 1st another $300.

To finish off a disappointing day, when I arrived back in Portland, Maine at midnight, my duffle bag had been torn open. Fortunately, nothing was damaged or lost. JetBlue compensated with a travel voucher. I finally got home at 1:30 am with only 5 hours of sleep the night before.

So, I’ll attempt to get to Russia again on October 11, providing Obama, Kerry, Powers and company don’t blow the world up in the meantime. Russia is preparing for a nuclear first strike. Thinking I came up short when I changed the title of the new film to Thirty Seconds to Midnight. Probably will have to change it from Thirty Seconds to Midnight, to a final count down, T minus ten seconds and counting.

Here’s the updated itinerary:

October 11 Fly to Moscow

October 12 arrive in Moscow

October 12 – October 21 Moscow

October 21 train to St. Petersburg with my Russian “handler” a woman named Ruzhena

October 21 – 25 St. Petersburg

October 26 Fly to Sevastopol, Crimea

October 26- 30 Crimea

October 31 Fly to Moscow

November 1 Return flight to JFK and home

If there are others who have not yet contributed and still wish to do so, please do whatever you can. The flight cancellations, rebookings with penalties, and new reservations have added nearly $1000 to the cost of the trip.

Thanks to all who have contributed. I am indebted to all of you. Without you this film could not be made.